Lekgolo Collective
|region= |system= |planet=* (Homeworld) ** (moon) ** (moon) ** (moon) **22 other moons *At least 120 other systems (as of 2525) *At least 180 other systems (as of 2558) |centers= |type=*Socialism **Meritocracy |foundingdoc= |constitution= |headofstate=Chairman |headofgov=Chairman |commander= |legislative= |judicial= |capital= |establishment=*>850 BCE *Reestablished in |anthem= |language=*Lekgolo * *Understand English and other Covenant species languages |population=*~10-15 trillion worms **~400-500 billion colonies |currency= |era=*Pre-Human-Covenant War * * }} The Lekgolo Collective is the government of the Lekgolo that rules over Te and it's many moons. The Lekgolo Collective is an ancient government that can track its roots back to even centuries before the Lekgolo's contact with the . Being a species of extremely social beings, to say the least, made it very easy for the Lekgolo to unite under a single banner and the race had only seen very limited war with its own kind. Though as small as their empire is, it is still a very attractive ally for all the Covenant splinter factions as they are able to provide them with heavy infantry, ultra heavy siege platforms such as the , and breaking through computer systems. History Pre-Covenant The Lekgolo evolved on the planet of Te, a massive blue gas giant with 25 natural satellites in orbit around it. The Lekgolo lived in the upper layers of the gas giant's atmosphere where they could feast upon the large deposits of metals that Te's strong gravity pulled in from outer space. During the was a massive Forerunner installation built to collect and experiment on the Lekgolo in an attempt to turn them into a weapon against the , some specimens were even shipped off to for further experimentation. The project eventually proved fruitless and was abandoned and the specimens on Installation 04 was locked away in stasis deep under its surface. The war with the Flood eventually came to an end and the Lekgolo were reseeded back on Te in the years after firing of the and the defeat of the Flood. There, they went about rebuilding their civilization from the ground. Most Lekgolo settled on huge rocks that floated around in Te's upper atmosphere while others traveled from place to place with the help of the powerful storms that ravaged Te less than a dozen times a local year. This method of traveling was considered very risky as it essentially came down to throwing the entire colony out over a cliff and allow the strong winds to carry them away and then hope for the best. Over time, newer and much safer methods were developed. One such method was the development of extremely durable airships that allowed the Lekgolo to ride safely through the storms with little risk to their colonies as a whole. This allowed them to travels much further than before and became one of the reasons why Lekgolo society evolved into kingdoms, empires or other forms of nations. Very few wars were ever fought between the Lekgolo so their tools of war didn't evolve from internal conflict but instead came from the desire to reach the top of the food chain. The Lekgolo were far from the only life form to make their home in the upper atmosphere and as such were often seen as pray for much larger predators that feasted upon them. It is speculated by many a scholars when the lekgolo became an officially unified species, but most sources indicate that it was around 1200-1100 BCE. The Lekgolo, as a unified race, began to focus on completely securing their homeworld from any potential threats to their population. Predators that had hunted the Lekgolo for food for millennia had now become the hunted and many species were driven to near extinction through the Lekgolo's pacification of the planet. Near the end of this pacification were the Lekgolo also looking for ways to escape the boundaries of their homeworld, seeking to expand out into space. The Lekgolo achieved a tier 3 status around 850 BCE, almost 150 years before their first contact with the Covenant Empire. The Lekgolo quickly colonized the 25 moons in orbit of their homeworld and also settled on the massive Forerunner installation. This quick colonization was achieved by the Lekgolo's natural reliance to high and low temperatures and that they did not need much air to survive for months in the vacuum of space. The Forerunner installation was eventually eaten by the Lekgolo as a thin minority of the Lekgolo thought very highly of the Forerunner alloy's flavor and the nutrition that it provided while the majority of the Lekgolo population wasn't even able to digest the Forerunner plating. Taming of the Lekgolo A Covenant expedition fleet entered the in and quickly discovered that the Lekgolo was feasting on the sorry remains of the Forerunner installation that had by this time turned into multiple rings of debris around Te. Enraged by this blasphemy, the Covenant declared war against the Lekgolo on the spot and sought to eradicate them from the face of the galaxy. The wars, however, didn't quite go as the Sangheili Fleet Masters had originally thought as the Lekgolo hid within the remains of the sacred Forerunner relics. Extremely hard and very dangerous operations were carried out to cleanse the ruins of the Lekgolo at a high cost of lives on the Covenant's side. Most casualties on the Covenant side was actually not direct attacks from the Lekgolo but instead due to depressurization when they fought in airless spaces where The Lekgolo colonies simply ate through their armor and into their flesh, exposing The Sangheili troops to the cold vacuum of space. All ground based operations resulted in complete and utter failure for the Covenant as the Lekgolo simply proved too much for the Sangheili troops to handle without the ability to use orbital bombardment. It only became much worse when the first and other larger forms appeared in on the moon of . The Mgalekgolo were large, strong and durable and they were able to overwhelm entire lances of Sangheili with little effort while they fought in the heavy gravity of Te. The war became a battle of attrition that the Sangheili ground forces were losing badly. An was eventually chosen and tasked with exposing the Lekgolo's strengths and weaknesses. The Arbiter spent well over a year on the moon of Rantu, a moon that the Lekgolo had lost and reclaimed numerous times throughout the war. The Arbiter made use of hit and run tactics from time to time to get the local Lekgolo colonies to respond to his presence as a hostile force, only to flee or fall back in his specialized dropship. When the year was over and the Arbiter returned to to give his report to the . He told them of the Lekgolo's unique abilities to form a wide variety of combat forms and other forms that increased in both complexity and intelligence as more and more Lekgolo worms were added to it. The Arbiter proposed that instead of destroying the Lekgolo race, they should try to "tame" them and give them a place within the Covenant. The Hierarchs were at first very discouraging of the idea, still wanting to punish the Lekgolo for eating the Forerunner installation. But as reports of defeats and rising casualties kept coming in with seemingly no end in sight the Hierarchs finally relented and agreed to the Arbiter's suggestion. The Hierarchs ordered all forces to retreat from Te and it's moons before they send out a message for a ceasefire. The Lekgolo agreed to the ceasefire and the two parties later met to negotiate a peace and how the two could benefit from each other. The Lekgolo was very eager to get their hands on the Covenant's advanced slipspace drive and other technologies. The Covenant agreed to share their technology in exchange for the Lekgolo's services within the Covenant. The Covenant The San'Shyuum were quick to put the Lekgolo to work, both as heavy infantry, at the suggestions of the Sangheili, and to unlock the inner working of the Forerunner located at the heart of High Charity. The Lekgolo didn't have much respect for any of the other races that made up the Covenant expect for the Sangheili who they saw as worthy opponents and comrades, this also one of the major reasons that many Lekgolo colonies learn to speak Sangheili. Likewise did the Sangheili view the Lekgolo as worthy opponents and it were them who gifted the Mgalekgolo their armor that is still used to this day. With the access to Covenant technology, began the Lekgolo a massive colonization of the nearby systems to spread their influence and power. Shortly before the start of the Human-Covenant War was more than 120 other systems under the Lekgolo's direct control. The expansion of the Lekgolo was so great that the had to pass down a law to prevent the Lekgolo to expand further out of control and limited their expansion to only a few worlds nominated by the Council very few decades. Another problem the covenant began facing was the increased need for metals to feed the rapidly growing Lekgolo population. To tackle this problem before it truly evolved and maybe led to a rebellion from the Lekgolo were many San'Shyuum scientists put on the task to develop a substance that could function as a replacement for the metal the Lekgolo feed on. This undertaking was, however, not as easy to deal with as the Hierarchas had thought it would be and the starving Lekgolo became increasingly more hostile towards everyone around them. Some starved Lekgolo even went so far as beginning to eat each other or unsuspected individuals from the other races in the lower regions of High Charity to get to the small amount of metal in their bodies. It is said that the team of scientists had less than a week left before it had escalated into fully open rebellion had they not developed a sufficient substance in time. The substance, a thick bluish-greenish liquid, was quickly mass-produced in large quantities and handed over to the Lekgolo, who gratefully took it and abandoned their hostilities against the Covenant races almost immediately. The substance, while edible, didn't taste as good as the natural metals but most of the Lekgolo eventually got over the taste over the following years. The instructions on how to produce this substance were also hand over to them so they could produce it themselves, a political play to further strengthen the bonds between the Lekgolo and the ruling body of the Covenant. The Great War and its ending When the started with the The Lekgolo took up arms to fight alongside the Sangheili against the humans. They played a major role throughout the war as they were the ones to partly operate some of the bigger war machines to the front lines. The Lekgolo didn't partake in the war for religious reasons or because the San'Shyuum demanded them to fight but because the Sangheili actually asked them. The Lekgolo, still thinking highly of the Sangheili as brothers in arms after so many years, answered their call for the humans destruction. The Lekgolo marched to the battlefield, eager to prove to not only the Sangheili but also the other races of the Covenant that they were a force to reckon with. During the the vast majority of the Lekgolo sided with the Sangheili against the San'Shyuum and the . This was because the Lekgolo didn't think highly of the recent decisions that the Hierarchs had made. The whole changing of the guard from Sangheili to Jiralhanae didn't sit well with most Lekgolo as the Sangheili were still the only race in the Covenant they truly respected. The Lekgolo served as a great boost to the separatist forces during the opening hours of the betrayal and mass execution of the of the High Council. The Mgalekgolos brute strength and heavy armor were a great support for the Sangheili-led forces and in the tight hallways and streets throughout High Charity. They were fearsome foes as they formed defensive walls out of their own huge, bulking bodies while covering their allies retreat and withdrawal from the infested Covenant capital. Post-War After the downfall of the Covenant Empire and the , the majority of the Lekgolo returned to their homeworld, Te, to establish a government of their own. This government was called the Lekgolo Collective, which quickly arranged negotiations with the , the current Arbiter and leader of the . It would take a while before the other Lekgolo controlled worlds would be folded into the Collective and many Covenant splinter factions took advantage of this by traveling to these worlds and recruiting Lekgolo colonies to their cause. Seeing this, the Lekogolo Collective banned the recruitment on each planet shortly after they were absorbed into it, the government saw this recruiting as a threat to the state's unity as Lekgolo could potentially fight other Lekgolo. Those colonies that didn't return after the banned was put into effect were deemed traitors to the Lekgolo Collective. During the conflict, the Lekgolo Collective wouldn't offer any military support to Thel 'Vadam and the Swords, However, they did allow the Sangheili to transfer refugees and civilians out of Sangheili space to live on what habitable world they had under their control. Sword warships were also allowed to pass through their territory, refuel and make extensive repairs at Lekgolo Shipyards and dry docks. This was a great helped for the Swords navy. The Post War was also a time of a massive expansion for the Lekgolo as the law that kept them from colonizing new systems and planets no longer held any power over them. The Lekgolo began a massive expansion project only a few months after the end of the Human-Covenant war into the systems bordering their empire. Due to the Lekgolo being so resistant to the vacuum of space their expansion was mostly only slowed by the need of materials, ships and time. They aggressively settled upon every world the could find. So of these worlds showed potential for being able to support life and the Lekgolo began terraforming these worlds to allow other species to settle on them as a way to draw in merchants and outside industries to their rapidly growing empire. The only problems with this rapid expansion were that it drew worried looks from their neighbors that feared that a war with the Collective if they expanded to close or into their territories. The other problem was that their naval forces were spread very thin to keep the many new worlds safe from raiders and pirates. The security of their worlds became a huge problem and the material needed to build orbital defense platforms and new shipyards were staggering and nearly threw the Collective into an economic crisis. Society As surprising as it might be, the Lekgolo society is actually very identical to the inner foundations of human society. While each worm in the Lekgolo society isn't considered an individual or citizen for that matter it is instead their colonies that are the true citizens of the Lekgolo Collective. Their society is based on socialism where the state is extremely big and owns many corporations and institutions, especially within the field encompasses medical research and health care. The private sector does still exist but is very small and often focused on off-world trading with other races. This makes the few companies very wealthy and influential to some extent although heavy taxes are imposed upon them to support the state. Government The Lekgolo Collective is ruled by a council, known as the Supreme Council of State. This council is made up of the most successful individuals within their field of work. A Chairman is elected from the council members by representatives from a separate and independent organization from the government that is tasked with evaluating each member and other potential candidates for the council. Biology scientist on his studies on the Lekgolo}} A Lekgolo colony is a being composed of hundreds to tens of thousands of Lekgolo worms. Each worm isn't very impressive on its own but when they group together they form what can be counted as a brain, each being a brain cell in its own right. The worms exchange electrical impulses and chemical reactions, adding to their "brain power" to a larger, more intelligent entity. Diet All Lekgolo have the ability to eat and break down most known metals into nutrition for their bodies. A rare trait among the many species of the galaxy and one of great concern for the Covenant as a whole until the San'Shyuum developed a substance that could replace the natural metals as the Lekgolos' primary source of food. While most subspecies can't digest the alloy used by the Forerunners there are however some that can and who finds the flavor of the alloy to be very delicate. There are also species, most notably the Thanolekgolo, can digest organic matter. This was most horribly proven to the UNSC during Agent , his team's, and a team of mission to the where most of them were killed and devoured by large colonies of Thanolekgolos. Liquid Substance SQ-94356FG Liquid substance SQ-94356FG is the formal name the scientists of the UNSC have given to the substance that the San'Shyuum developed to keep the Lekgolo in line during their food crisis. The liquid doesn't contain any kind of organic nutrition and is considered to be extremely toxic to any species except for the Lekgolo. The liquid is made of what appears to be synthetic or artificial metal components that apparently should function in much the same way as an entire meal for a Lekgolo. The amount of the substance needed for the colony to feel "satiated" increases in comparison with the size of the colony. Language The Lekgolo doesn't speak in the traditional manner as other species that inhabit the galaxy as they doesn't make use of any kind of vocal chords. Instead the worms move against each other to produce different sounds that can range from low growls, angry roars to something akin to soft instrumental melodies that some UNSC scientists that have taken a liking to listen to while working, even if it's actually complete nonsense when translated. The colonies can also grind its worms together to mimic the sounds of different words used by different species. This allows them to learn most spoken languages used by Covenant species and humans alike. Some Lekgolo colonies even make it a hobby of sorts to learn as many different languages as possible. Communication between colonies can also happen through direct contact with each other. A couple of worms from each colony will grind against each other, exchanging chemical and electrical impulses with each other that can carry entire messages. This form of communication is extremely fast and an entire discussion between the two parties can be over with in seconds. Since billions of Lekgolo colonies live in completely airless environments they have also designed a form of sign language for communicating without coming into physical contact with each other. This sign language is actually more of a body language as it involve moving specific parts of their body into specific patterns to convoy the massage. This form of communication is, however, rather slow and the massage can often be convoyed incorrectly to receiver due to the many different arrangements there exists for form words. Many Lekgolo take it upon themselves to study and learn the Sangheili language and with new translation technology being produced from the Lekgolo Collective's research institutions the Lekgolo have developed a translator that can interact with the chemical and electrical impulses produced be the worms linked to the translator to translate their speech into Sangheili. This development have greatly benefited the trade and military coordination between many of the Covenant splinter factions. Military The Lekgolo Collective has been known for not sugar coating things in any way and its military is just like that if not far worse. Its military is cruel and vicious with little to no remorse for its enemies. It is often said that death is better than being taken a prisoner of the Lekgolo Collective. Their ground forces are often heavy armored and armed while their navy is seen as one of their biggest weak points as their tremendous physical strength and power can't give than any advantages in naval battles expect for boarding attacks on hostile vessels. Ground forces Mgalekgolo One of the lowest ranked troops in the Lekgolo Collective's armed forces, these hulking beasts wear thick armor usually used as armor plating for Covenant ships. They are armed with a large shield, usually fitted on the left arm, for extra protection which also has its edges sharpen to function as a deadly melee weapon. An is usually attached to the right arm. This cannon has three firing modes, either a large single devastating blast, a beam of energy or a long burst of tiny blasts, much like an LMG. If the need ever arises, the Mgalekgolo can drop its Assault Cannon or shield and reveal three large, sharp claws that can be used to further boost its melee capabilities. Thanolekgolo The Thanolekgolo are a vicious and flesh eating sub-race of the Lekgolo. They're seen as savages and cruel by the rest of the Lekgolo. Thanolekgolo is the lowest ranked colonies in the Lekgolo Collective and is only used in their military as attack dogs to overwhelm enemy positions or to secure key locations against enemies. Thanolekgolo is often used in executions of prisoners or in arenas where a starved swarm will chase after prisoners sentenced to entertain the local Lekgolo population in bloody and brutal obstacle courses where few ever leave with their life. Although cruel and deadly to the extreme they are also known for their cunning and intellect in devising traps and ambushes against whoever they have marked as their next victim or meal. They have been seen forming their colonies into shapes resembling their pray or lure them into a desired location or position where they can overwhelm they target(s) without worrying that they'll get away. Some of these tactics can involve luring or forcing they victims into a narrow canyon and then simply drop down from over its edges by the hundreds if not thousands, eating their way through armor, cloth, and flesh as more descend from above to join them in their feast and slaughter. Rhulolekgolo The Rhulolekgolo colonies were a rare form of colonies that ranked even lower than Mgalekgolo in terms of military and social rank. The Rhulolekgolo have, however, seen increased use over the years after the Great Schism. The Rhulolekgolo have been given a wide field of jobs to do, these jobs can range from diplomats to infiltrators and spies to light infantry in the Lekgolo collective's armed forces. The Rhulolekgolo are known for their high intelligence, even in smaller colonies, and their ability to communicate far better with other species than other forms of Lekgolo colonies. Their size usually ranged from an average human to the average Sangheili in terms of height. Rhulolekgolo soldiers often look like a mix between a Sangheili and a Jiralhanae. The lower part, Lower back, Legs, and feet, resemble that of a Sangheili while the upper body look more like that of a Jiralhanae, broad shoulders, strong arms, and chest. The four fat fingers the Jiralhanae have has been switched out with claws sharp enough to tear into bones. Their head is rather small compared to the rest of the upper body and resembles a smaller version of the head of a Mgalekgolo. The Rhulolekgolo soldiers are lightly armored with a suit of armor of similar material as used by the Mgalekgolo though it's many times lighter and it's much easier to penetrate than the armor use by the Mgalekgolo. They are usually armed with as their primary weapon, though they have also been observed using other weapons such as the and the and larger Rhulolekgolo soldiers have been seen using the as their primary weapon. The is the standard issued sidearm. Khantolekgolo Processing a similar physical form as the Mgalekgolo but standing somewhere around five to six times higher than a fully grown Sangheili, these monstrous beasts were a rare sight even to the Covenant. They are known for their use of greatly oversized assault cannons and shields. The assault cannon, dubbed the Mega Assault Cannon by Covenant and humans alike, is a fearsome weapon of destruction that can level buildings and heavily fortified fortifications with little to no trouble at all. The Khantolekgolo is thought as super heavy infantry though they also double as something similar to a heavy attack walker. The Khantolekgolo are usually tasked with creating holes in enemy lines for smaller units to exploit and as tank hunters and siege platform. Sbaolekgolo The Sbaolekgolo are meta-colonies that is primarily used in the operation of which are used in heavy excavation or mining operations. These Lekgolo are known for their ability to interact with machinery on much deeper level than other Lekgolo but as a consequence often refuses to reproduce and create new colonies, feeling contempt with its size within the Harvester they occupy. They are also known for their passiveness both towards their own kind but also other species. This was proven to the UNSC when Fireteam Crimson and forces fought over a harvester during the where the Harvester simply followed along with any orders given to it through the consoles linked to the monstrous machine. Dipholekgolo The Dipholekgolo is arguably one of the most terrifying ground units the Lekgolo Collective can deploy onto a battlefield that still hold some resemblance to a type of infantry. Standing around 2.5 times higher than the average Mgalekgolo and around four times as long it is large but also a unit that even SPARTANs and Sangheili would think twice about before attacking without a well-planned plan of attack to take it down. The Dipholekgolo have the appearance that roughly resembles that of a Scorpion man from ancient human mythology. A four armed human-like upper body is placed at the far front of the mighty beast, each arm equipped either with long blades or claws or Assault Cannons depending on its role on the battlefield or what war gear it personally prefer. A long tail, clad in heavy armor with either another long sharp blade or ranged weapon at its end, giving it both range should it engage in melee combat or odd firing angles that can help it confuse and take down opponents not expecting the tail's deadly power and purpose. The Dipholekgolo is also seen as commanders of large Lekgolo forces, numbering somewhere between a legion to more than a dozen legions at the same time. This would indicate that the Dipholekgolo have their set of ranks when it comes to leading forces as some UNSC personal on recon and scout missions have observed Dipholekgolo ordering each other around to coordinate their combined forces. No visible insignia of rank have been seen however and it's still a mystery how they identify each other's ranks though some scientists speculate that might be the way the individual worms that make up the colony moves around, producing a specific sound to tell other Lekgolo of their rank and status within their military. Vigulekgolo pilot}} The Vigulekgolo is a massive colony, standing around nine stories tall, and nearly just as wide. It's easily recognized by its massive size and its unique appearance compared to other colonies of Lekgolo. During the war between the Covenant and the Lekgolo, the Vigulekgolo was first introduced in the last months of the war. Entire Covenant forces were defeated and routed by a single Vigulekgolo during their assaults on the many moons orbiting Te. In more modern times the Vigulekgolo have been upgraded with thick armor and weapons that make it a threat to even low hanging, light armored UNSC warships. Its main weapon, a located in its "mouth", makes it an extremely dangerous opponent to everything in its line of fire. Furthermore, the two "wings" can open up hatches to reveal a row of six that can move up and down at a 90-degree angle. The wing themselves can also move to give the cannons even better angles to target hostiles both in the air and on the ground. These angles appear to only be around 15 to 20 degrees in all directions. When these cannons are exposed the softer interior is so too. The thick armor that the hatches are made of that's being pulled away to allow the many cannons to fire also exposes the vulnerable mechanics that hold the wing together. Well, placed shots with anti-armor weaponry can easily disable the entire wing. Its two powerful legs allow it to reach great speed, allowing it chase down most ground based vehicles with little trouble, but moving at such high speeds makes it hard for the Vigulekgolo it do sharp turns or make sudden stops. It's not uncommon for a Vigulekgolo to charge straight into a building when it's trying to chase a target. As fearsome as the Vigulekgolo is, and rightly so, they are rare to the extreme, nearly extinct, and the Lekgolo Collective treasure the few they have left very high and will more often than not find an alternative solution to a situation than to deploy a Vigulekgolo and risk losing it during the battle. The Vigulekgolo was only used once during the Human-Covenant War. During the battle on a well-fortified colony in the outer colonies was the Vigulekgolo deployed to serve as a distraction for the main Covenant force. While the Vigulekgolo and a small force of other Covenant troops assaulted a UNSC defended city, was the main force pushing past the city to hit a UNSC fortress that had sent reinforcements to the city to battle the Vigulekgolo. The Vigulekgolo managed to cut its way through the human defense line and into the city full of civilians. There it went on a destructive rampage, destroying everything in its path. The UNSC finally called in Shortswords to bomb it from above which finally pierced its thick armor and killed the huge monstrosity. Meanwhile, the Covenant main force had begun its siege of the fortress, though they weren't able to break through the fortress' defenses as reinforcements from the city were quickly heading for their rear. Naval forces The Lekgolo Collective's naval forces are, compared to their ground forces, rather lacking and spread very thin throughout their aggressively expanding empire. The Lekgolo ships a mostly commanded and controlled by the Sbaolekgolo that has been infused with the machinery and computer systems within the ship itself. They usually have a very thin air that no average human or Sangheili would survive long in so boarders and attackers need to be equipped with gas masks or other equipment if they want to board a ship belonging to the Lekgolo Collective. Their fleets are often rather small, only a dozen or two at most due to their need to spread their warships out so thin over their newly conquered systems. This leaves them with an extensive pirate problem that takes advantage of the Lekgolo not being able to defend every world under their control. Category:Mgalekgolo Category:Covenant remnants